Key Connections: Elders, Forgiveness, and more…

Here are some of my favorite quotes from key Christian articles around the web. Including, a post on forgiveness, and one on Church elders. Also, one from Pastor Colin Smith on God’s great promise for us.

Ecclesiology Matters. Especially for Elders (Bill Riedel, The Gospel Coalition)

Church planters will make mistakes. Other leaders will make mistakes. It’s difficult for a lot of planters to make the transition from the entrepreneurial sensibilities of getting something started to the pastoral sensibilities of leading a church. As conflict inevitably arrives, repent quickly and regularly, learn from mistakes, and grow in the application of the gospel in the church.

Forgiveness and Healing for The Post-Abortive (Mary May Larmoyeux, Revive Our Hearts)

Then she explained she had found inner peace and freedom when she took God at His word and chose to accept His forgiveness. “I realized what it came down to was, I can either accept God’s grace and forgiveness or I can reject it. I chose to accept it.”

5 Myths about Preaching (Joel R. Beeke, Crossway)

The fact is that the Bible comes to us in a variety of literary genres and styles, which commends flexibility in our methods of preaching. The storyteller needs to remember that substantial content, logical clarity, and practical application are vitally important to effective storytelling; and the pulpit orator must be creative and imaginative in his presentation of doctrinal truth if he wants to do more for his hearers than inform their minds.

Why It’s Unfair for Good People to Go to Heaven (Caleb Wait, Core Christianity)

One of the reasons the call to “just be good” might be attractive to us is because we assume everyone can do it. While expecting everyone to believe the same things is unreasonable and exclusive, expecting everyone to ‘be good’ is a bar we believe everyone can meet. But this assumption creates a very particular disposition in us. While it may give us resources to be more tolerant and inclusive, it also does something else: if everyone can ‘be good’ by their own will, we expect everyone to rise up to this occasion, and then when someone does not, whatever contempt we feel toward that person is justified.

God’s Promise about Jesus is His Promise for You (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

I want you to hear this promise. God says to you in Jesus Christ when you rebel: “I’m going to do whatever it takes to get you back, and my steadfast love will not depart from you.” Your life may follow a different path as a result of what you have done, but God never abandons his own children.